Industry news – Page 137
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MT Article
Lorry driver who hid £1m of cocaine in cab jailed for nine years
A Lithuanian lorry driver has been jailed for nine years after being found guilty of smuggling 24 kilos of cocaine worth £1m into the UK in his cab.Robertas Trimailovas, aged 46, of Alytus, Lithuania, was stopped at Dover’s Eastern Docks on 5 April this year.Border Force officers searched the cab ...
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MT ArticleTruck driver found guilty of dangerous driving after making “U-turn that went wrong”
A recovery truck driver whose vehicle became stuck after he tried to drive through a gap in the central reservation of the A9 near Dunblane, to get to the southbound carriageway has been found guilty of dangerous driving this week.Perth Sheriff Court heard that James Macfarlane had been driving on ...
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MT ArticleTransport sector could cost Treasury up to £1.2bn in Bounce Back Loan Scheme defaults, researchers warn
The transport industry could cost the Treasury £1.2bn in Covid-19 loan defaults, according to research by Business Rescue Expert.The research looked at the rate at which small businesses have used the government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) since its launch in May 2020.As the first repayments under the BBLS scheme ...
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MT ArticleLogistics UK restarts classroom training
With lockdown measures easing and face-to-face meetings back on the agenda, Logistics UK is once again promoting its classroom-based compliance training courses.It said the courses were being scheduled in line with government Covid guidelines and that spaces on popular courses such as Driver CPC and transport manager CPC were likely ...
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MT Article19,000 transport and logistics SMEs facing collapse as sector giants 'eat up' growth
There has been a jump of almost a quarter in the number of transport and logistics SMEs experiencing significant financial distress compared to the end of last year, according to a new analysis.RealBusinessRescue.co.uk, set up by Begbies Traynor to advise business leaders in financial distress, also said the number of ...
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MT ArticlePolice release footage of A1 HGV crash involving driver who fell asleep after drinking whisky and Coke at wheel
An HGV driver who drank whisky and then fell asleep at the wheel before colliding with the central reservation, has lost his licence.Lauri Martel, 40, was arrested by police in a layby on the A1M northbound near Peterborough, after being breathalysed and found to be almost twice the legal drink ...
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MT ArticleGenie Insights develops solar panels to power fridges, tail lifts and ancillaries
Fleet technology supplier Genie Insights said it had taken advantage of new solar panel technology to develop a range of custom-designed panels for commercial vehicles.The solar products use Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) technology instead of glass-based panels, meaning they are lightweight, flexible and robust without fracturing or cracking.It said ...
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MT ArticleResidents win battle to stop night-time deliveries at major warehouse
A planning appeal by developers wanting to overhaul vehicle movements at a controversial warehouse in Milton Keynes so that lorries could operate 24/7 has been dismissed.Jersey-based GUPI 6 wanted to vary restrictions at the huge shed in Blakelands, so that HGVs could enter or exit the site outside of the ...
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MT ArticleUnite union urges industry to tackle growing concerns over mental health
A “huge increase” in mental health concerns in haulage during the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted the Unite trade union to push for an industry standard to tackle the growing crisis.To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, a roundtable event involving senior figures from the haulage, warehousing and logistics sector is ...
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MT ArticleHGV driver given suspended sentence after fatal accident
A “totally avoidable” fatal collision between an artic and an 89-year-old pedestrian has resulted in a 12-month suspended prison sentence and disqualification for the driver.Stephen Bedder was also ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work when he appeared at Norwich Crown Court last week (7 May) after being found ...
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MT ArticleLogistics giants reveal Brexit border strategies as Irish problem eases
A range of the logistics sector’s leading operators have told MT that although Brexit has presented them with major challenges, the situation is now starting to improve.Questioned in our latest panel debate, most said they were successfully tackling customs changes triggered by the UK’s departure from the EU, but that ...
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MT Article
RHA launches campaign to find heroes of transport and logistics industry
The RHA has launched a new campaign this week which seeks to shine a spotlight on the heroes of the transport and logistics industry.Dubbed RHA Heroes, the initiative aims to encourage the industry to recognise staff and teams who’ve stood out for their hard work, dedication and commitment over the ...
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MT Article
HGV driver jailed for seven years after placing bets on phone moments before crashing into father of four
A lorry driver who was placing bets on his mobile phone moments before his truck ploughed into a father of four, at 56 mph, has been jailed.HGV driver Dean Moffat placed £20 on a greyhound race less than two minutes before hitting Ric Mboma, 60, on the A34, near Winchester, ...
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MT Article
Clowes Developments inks £100m deal to launch six major logistics facilities around M1
Plans are in train for six new logistics facilities around the M1 which will provide a total of one million square foot of storage space.NFU Mutual is investing £100m with Clowes Developments to fund the project which will see the delivery of six new Grade A logistics warehouses, let across ...
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MT Article
BSI launches standard to help prevent trucks being used in terrorist attacks
The British Standards Institution (BSI) has launched guidance aimed at preventing trucks, vans, buses and plant machinery from being used as weapons in a terrorist attack or by organised crime gangs.The standard, launched this week, is sponsored by the DfT and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) ...
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MT ArticleGive lorry cargo thefts higher priority, RHA tells crime minister
The RHA is calling on the government to give greater importance to lorry cargo thefts, which currently fall under the same category as the theft of a pair of sunglasses from a motor vehicle.In a letter sent today (10 May) to Kit Malthouse, minister of state for crime and policing, ...
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MT ArticleNew training body run by former STC Beverley Bell reveals course details
Former senior traffic commissioner (STC) Beverley Bell (pictured) has launched a training company offering operator licence awareness, Driver CPC and transport manager courses.Beverley Bell Training will begin rolling out its first courses in the North West in June while Covid restrictions remain in place, but the intention is to offer ...
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MT ArticleAnger over "unrealistic" plan to slap huge fines on hauliers found with stowaways
Hauliers will stop bringing goods into the UK if the government ploughs on with proposals to levy fines of £2,000 per stowaway found in vehicles, regardless of the security measures taken, Logistics UK has warned.A consultation into the controversial plans ended yesterday (6 May) with ministers wanting to overhaul the ...
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MT ArticleTraining bodies hit out at DVSA as HGV test backlog builds
More than 118,000 HGV tests are required to take place over the next 12 months if a skills black hole caused by the pandemic is to be plugged, according to research carried out by the Logistics Skills Network (LSN).In 2020, just 15,547 professional drivers passed their test, compared to a ...
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MT ArticleNew figures reveal shocking truth behind overhead power line incidents
Nearly half of all overhead power line incidents last year were caused by haulage firms, according to UK Power Networks (UKPN).The energy firm has now launched a campaign to remind people working near power lines to concentrate on their safety and plan properly.It said the four groups with the highest ...